The Jordan-based shipmanager was given a criminal penaltytotaling $500,000 on Tuesday at the court in Wilmington, Delaware.
The company has alsobeen placed on probation for two years, during which time ships operated by thecompany will be banned from calling on US ports.
ASM was caught red handed during an inspection of its6,398-gt livestock carrier Neameh (built 1979) in March 2013 by the US CoastGuard in the Delaware Bay Big Stone Anchorage.
It revealed heavy oil sludge inside the piping on thedischarge side of the pollution prevention equipment leading directlyoverboard, where no oil sludge should be if the equipment is operated properly.
Inspectors also discovered that the vessel’s piping arrangementhad been modified in a prohibited manner so as to allow oil sludge to be pumpeddirectly overboard.
Also during the inspection, coast guard officers werepresented with two oil record books which are required by law to be accuratelymaintained onboard the vessel.
These two oil record books contained different andcontradictory entries for the time period of 30 November 2011, through 2 January2012, as well as fake oily waste disposal receipts.
“The defendant violated environmental laws that protectour marine environment from harmful pollution,” said US Attorney for theDistrict of Delaware Charles Oberly III.
“This conviction ensuresthat the defendant is held accountable with a criminal fine and a contributionto conservation efforts in coastal Delaware, as well as a two-year ban fromUnited States ports. The message to the shipping industry is clear:environmental crimes at sea will not be tolerated.”
